Emmy winner David E. Kelley's new series, "Avalon," picked up by ABC

ABC's 'Avalon': While ABC's crime thriller "Big Sky" recently wrapped its second season and posted some solid digital ratings, its creator/executive producer David E. Kelley is already hard at work on his next project.

Kelley is both penning the pilot and serving as an executive producer of "Avalon," which was handed a straight-to-series order. It's expected to find its way into ABC's prime-time lineup during the upcoming 2022-23 season.

According to ABC, the new mystery series is set in the city of Avalon, on the tourist-friendly Catalina Island, where L.A. Sheriff's Department Det. Nicole "Nic" Searcy heads up a small office. Every day when the ferries arrive, hundreds of potential new stories land on the island, but for Det. Searcy, one particular career-defining mystery will challenge everything she knows about herself and the island.

"Avalon" marks Kelley's second TV collaboration with bestselling author Michael Connelly (Netflix's "The Lincoln Lawyer," which was previously in development for CBS, is the first). It is also the latest addition to an already long list of TV credits for Kelley, the auteur of such TV classics as "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice," and whose recent projects include Netflix's "Anatomy of a Scandal" and Disney 's "Doogie Kamealoha, M.D."

"David E. Kelley is one of the great storytellers of our time, and we are excited to continue our successful relationship with him on what we believe will be his next epic series on ABC," Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, said. "Michael Connelly's short story is ripe with mystery and intrigue, and we can't wait for David and Michael to bring this eerie and captivating world to life."

A 'Full Monty' show: Remember "The Full Monty"? The BAFTA-winning film featured a cast led by Robert Carlyle ("Once Upon a Time") and centered on a group of unemployed workers who turned to stripping to make extra cash. It was a big hit globally in 1997; now, nearly 25 years later, it is set to return as a Disney limited TV series.

The eight-episode series from FX and Searchlight Television is currently in production, with filming already underway in Sheffield and Manchester, U.K.

While Andrew Chaplin ("Alma's Not Normal") and Catherine Morshead ("No Offence") are taking over direction, the series reunites the original's Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire," 2008) and producer Uberto Pasolini ("Nowhere Special," 2020).

The original cast is coming back, too, including lead actor Carlyle as Gaz; Mark Addy ("Game of Thrones") as Dave; Lesley Sharp ("Before We Die") as Jean; Hugo Speer ("Shadow and Bone") as Guy; Paul Barber ("Casualty") as Horse; Steve Huison ("The Royal Today") as Lomper; Wim Snape ("The Beaker Girls") as Nathan; and Tom Wilkinson ("Batman Begins," 2005) as Gerald.

Expect the storylines to introduce a new generation, as the children and grandchildren of the returning characters, who have apparently remained in Sheffield, navigate crumbling health-care, education and employment sectors while trying to find a brighter way to triumph over adversity.

"Twenty-five years ago, Simon [Lewis, producer] introduced us to a group of funny, fearless and resilient unemployed working-class men from Sheffield and the world fell in love with them," Lee Mason, Disney 's director of scripted content, said in an official statement. "We're therefore delighted to reunite the original cast for this brand-new series on Disney , to catch up with these iconic characters and what they've been up to since we last saw them on stage in all their glory, and we can't wait to introduce a host of exciting new faces and characters."

"The Full Monty" series will air on Disney globally, Star in Latin America and Hulu in the United States.

Grammy winner's life: Fresh off her surprise Oscar performance, Grammy-winning recording artist Megan Thee Stallion will soon be focusing her attention on a new multi-part TV docuseries that chronicles her life and rise to fame.

Time Studios and Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, which signed Megan to a management deal in 2019, have teamed up to develop the project, which will focus on the entrepreneur and activist's Texas upbringing and career highlights.

At the time of the announcement, no network or streaming platform was officially attached, but Nigerian-American producer/filmmaker Nneka Onuorah ("Lizzo's Watch Out For the Big Grrrls") has been tapped to direct.

According to several news outlets, the series will use archival footage and video verité (truthful depictions/reenactments of real-life events) to highlight Megan's personal and professional trajectory through the years, from viral freestyling phenom to global pop icon (and one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2020).

It hasn't necessarily been the smoothest journey for Megan, who has had a few legal beefs with her record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment.

After suing in 2020, the "Savage" rapper (real name Megan Pete) filed a new suit last month, accusing the label of not allowing her to fulfill her contract quota by refusing to recognize "Something For Thee Hotties" as an album. The label is countersuing Megan for breach of contract.